Mall Creationists

We took the girls to the mall the other day to see Hoodwinked (fun kiddy movie, ***1/2), and at the entrance we encountered some nice religious folks who gave the girls a dollar (Whoohoo!) and wanted to talk to us about what it takes to get into heaven.

We were late to the movie, so I declined the opportunity to try to convert them, but I did take the little pamphlet for further perusal. Check out The Atheist Test .

Science is not opposed to God. The existence of an omnipotent being who does not wish to be observed is not disprovable, and therefore outside the realm of science.

On the other hand, science can be threatening to certain beliefs -- for example, the belief that the sun goes around the earth. If your belief system is such that a verifiable falsehood is an essential pillar, then it is prone to toppling.

Religions aren't so inflexible. At their heart, they are systems of philosophy, and even if the tales turn out to be false, the philosophies behind them can be enduring. The Millerites, Christians who were absolutely certain that Bible prophecies guaranteed the world would end on October 22, 1844, were disappointed when it didn't, but evolved into today's Seventh-Day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses.

Can't we all just get along?

Filed Wed - March 15, 2006, 10:05 AM in

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